American Idol: Fame, Fortune, and Self-Delusion

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center released last week reveals that "eighty-one percent of 18- to 25-year-olds...said getting rich is their generation's most important life goal." The second most important, according to the survey: "being famous." Described as the "millennial" generation; fifty-one percent listed being famous as the second most important life goal.

A Gallup Panel survey of 18-to 29-year-olds released last month found that 55% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "You dream about getting rich."

Most telling are the results of an annual survey of college freshmen by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA in which 2005 data show that "the percentage who say it is 'essential' or 'very important' to be 'very well off financially' grew from 41.9% in 1967 to 74.5% in 2005." Ironically, "developing a meaningful philosophy of life" dropped in importance from 85.8% in 1967 to 45% in 2005."

Anecdotally, one only has to watch an episode of American Idol to realize that many in this generation are obsessed with fame and fortune to the point of radical self-delusion. Convinced of their "ability" many of these "wanna-be" stars seem oblivious to the fact that they have absolutely no singing talent whatsoever. None! In fact, their outrageous assumptions to the contrary and subsequent humiliation (of which we and the judges only seem to be aware of) are a central part of the show's entertainment.

I think this is only to be expected among a generation raised in the ";self-esteem at all cost" era in which everyone is encouraged, cajoled and celebrated regardless of their performance. It seems as if the worst thing a person could be told today is that they have fallen short in any endeavor. The harm in all of this is a false sense of self coupled with a false sense of reality. The self is elevated to the place of supremacy in their world in which, to borrow from Lesslie Newbigin, "Who am I? Becomes an absorbing question, one that would never occur to a person who takes for granted the existence of a real world by which one can orient oneself."

Newbigin is making a profound point here. In the absence of any comprehensive and coherent view of reality there naturally follows a sense of isolation which limits one's view of the world to only its relation to the self. The autonomous self becomes the arbiter of truth, i.e. "What's true for me" becomes the only and final basis for determining truth while the authentication of the self is reduced to one's own experience, lifestyle, and feelings. Thus, there is no overarching authority outside oneself by which one can analyze, understand, and determine how one should interact with the real world. In other words, "It's all about me!" and these self-delusional perspectives have become common. Such people basically construct their own reality utilizing the superficial means of fashion and style combined with a "star-like" view of themselves.